The plundering of Africa’s remaining rainforests

By Rekpene Bassey

The rainforest in Cross River State was once among the richest remaining rainforests in the world, a jewel of biodiversity that attracted the attention of scientists and conservationists globally. Until just a few years ago, it was recognized as one of the world’s most critical biodiversity hotspots, a sanctuary for a myriad of unique and endangered species.

Covering an estimated 4,000 km², the Cross River State rainforest spans an extensive area within the National Park zone. This vast expanse sprawls over the Sankwala tropical mountains and stretches through Boki, the Afi and Mbe mountains, and various wildlife sanctuaries, reaching the coastal zones of the Oban Hills and Okwango Divisions.

This extensive forest system is often compared to other global rainforest titans like the Amazon (covering nine countries in South America), Congo, New Guinea, Borneo in the Indonesian Archipelago, Valdivia in Southern Chile, and the Burmese and Primorsky Krai formerly Primorye forests in Southeastern Russia.

Established in 1988 with the support of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), headquartered in Gland, Vaud, Switzerland, the Cross River National Park (CRNP) serves as a natural habitat for an array of special species of flora and fauna.

It provides refuge to several endangered primate species, including mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, drills, and the rare grey-cheeked mangabey.

The park’s significance extends beyond primates, as it shelters other rare species such as the okapi, scarlet macaw, jaguar, Sulawesi bear, buffalo, and forest elephants.

The rainforest’s flora is equally remarkable, with rare tree species like ebony, carpolobia, African corkwood, mahogany, mimosop, iroko, and African redwood. Some of these majestic trees reach heights of up to 84 meters, with trunk diameters of about 8 meters and circumferences of 32 meters. Many of these ancient trees were estimated to be over 2,000 years old, representing a living testament to the forest’s enduring legacy.

Despite this natural wealth, the advent of 1999 marked the beginning of a tragic era for the Cross River rainforests. Criminal elements, often with extensive Chinese connections, began to systematically plunder this tropical paradise. The exploitation commenced with agricultural expansion for cash crops and quickly escalated to intensive commercial logging and animal poaching.

As a result, Cross River State experienced severe deforestation, leading to significant ecosystem and biodiversity disruptions. The indigenous communities, deeply connected to the forest for their livelihoods and cultural heritage, also suffered tremendously. The situation continued to deteriorate until the later part of Senator Liyel Imoke’s administration back in 2011.

As governor, Imoke recognized the dangers posed by deforestation, including climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, erosion, and the destruction of aquatic systems. In response, he issued a moratorium on deforestation and established powerful task forces to enforce his executive orders against logging. This initiative was further strengthened by the prospect of benefiting from the United Nations’ REDD+ program (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation).

The primary objective of REDD+ was to halt deforestation and forest degradation to reduce carbon emissions by more than four gigatons (or four billion tons) annually. The strategy encouraged communities to protect their forests, offering financial incentives to meet their economic and sociological needs.

While the extent of the program’s benefits to subsistence communities remains uncertain, the Cross River rainforest began to recover, and enjoy protection and was managed fairly well by the State’s Forestry Commission.

As a sitting Governor at the time, Senator Imoke himself directly took part in the war against deforestation. While travelling through the hinterlands, he would sometimes direct his motorcade to stop over, order the arrest, and cause truckloads of wood to be impounded. He did so severely.

However, this progress was short-lived. After Senator Imoke’s tenure ended, his successor abandoned the forest protection and preservation efforts. The state quickly became an illegal logging haven, with desperate loggers colluding with government officials to exploit the forest for financial gain. Illegal harvesting and sales of wood became as lucrative as illegal crude oil bunkering or narcotics trafficking, with those in power turning a blind eye because they may have benefited from the illicit proceeds.

Recently, Senator Bassey Otu, the current governor, issued an executive order to ban illegal logging activities. Unfortunately, this order has not been effectively enforced. Many individuals involved in illegal logging under the previous administration remain active.

They are accustomed to the quick financial gains from illegal logging and are unwilling to find alternative means to support their lavish lifestyles. The allure of easy money has become an addiction, and many of these individuals are perennial political insiders in the current government, making enforcement challenging.

To curb the ongoing plundering of the forests, the present government must summon the determination to enforce its executive order against deforestation. Effective enforcement should encompass strict measures against violations, including surveillance, intelligence gathering, arrests, and prosecution.

Managing, protecting, and preserving forest reserves and protected areas is an arduous task that requires the right personnel on the ground. In addition to forest guards, other levels of federal law enforcement operatives should be deployed to secure the rainforests and preserve their rich biodiversity.

The plundering of our forests is a crisis that cannot continue indefinitely. The government must act decisively and with urgency to protect this irreplaceable natural heritage. With the correct measures and the commitment to enforcement, there is hope for restoring and preserving one of Africa’s remaining rainforests for future generations.

Rekpene Bassey is the President of the African Council on Narcotics (ACON). He is also a Security and Drug Prevention Expert.